Nick Clegg has warned against a coalition that would see Nigel Farage or Alex Salmond walk through the doors of Number 10 as he launched his party's manifesto.

The Liberal Democrat leader said that come 8 May either David Cameron or Ed Miliband would be prime minister but they would not win a majority government and would not hold the "balance of power".

He said it could be Mr Farage, it could be the SNP's Mr Salmond or it could be him and the Liberal Democrats who would provide "an insurance policy against a government lurching off to the extremes".

Mr Clegg said only his party could "add a heart to the Conservatives, and a brain to Labour" and only the Lib Dems could help guarantee the right path between the excessive cuts of the Tories and the excessive borrowing of Mr Miliband's party.

The Lib Dem leader said his party would bring "prosperity for all".

Video:Need To Know: Labour Pledges

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He warned voters that a Miliband/Salmond coalition would lead to "reckless borrowing" and urged them to keep Mr Salmond out of Westminster by voting in the Lib Dem candidate in Gordon.

And he said: "Imagine for a moment… what will become of our wonderful country in the next five years if Farage gets in."

The Liberal Democrats are expected to win between 20 and 40 seats at the General Election and could again play the role of kingmaker as neither Labour nor the Tories are expected to win a majority.

Unveiling his party manifesto at a trendy art space in Battersea, Mr Clegg set out five deal-breakers for any future coalition cautioning against a lurch to the Left or the Right.

He attempted to persuade voters he could be trusted after the U-turn on tuition fees, which cost the party so much support in the early days of the coalition.

The five pledges on the front of the 160-page manifesto are:

Video:Tory Manifesto In 60 Seconds

:: Ringfence the education budget from age 2-19

:: Additional £8bn a year funding for NHS by 2020

:: Eliminate deficit by 2017-18

:: Raise the income tax personal allowance to £12,500

:: Green laws including decarbonisation target for electricity

Three of them on the NHS, the deficit and income tax - match promises made in the Conservative manifesto.

Mr Clegg is hoping to persuade voters that his party can be the "proven rock of stability, continuity and conscience".

The Lib Dem leader is keen that people should remember the things the Lib Dems delivered in power - and not the things they could not.

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This includes lifting thousands out of income tax by increasing the personal allowance, a policy the Conservatives have claimed credit for and put at the centre of their 2015 manifesto.

Despite largely being viewed as the scapegoats for unpopular decisions, Mr Clegg, whose manifesto launch was marred by a technical glitch that saw him fall off air during the question session, said that every day in coalition had been worth it because they had helped to make Britain better.

And, like Mr Cameron, he implored voters to be allowed to finish the job.

The Liberal Democrat launch comes on the same day as UKIP's - the other party looking to appeal to the Conservatives in the event of coalition building.

Nigel Farage has said his is the only party in the General Election with a "credible plan for immigration".

Launching UKIP's Believe In Britain manifesto at a hotel in Thurrock, Essex, the party leader said the only way Britain could regain control of the issue was by leaving the EU.

He said: "We want our country back and then and only then can we actually control our borders."

The party is also promising to limit work visas for skilled immigrant to 50,000 and introduce an Australian-style immigration system, which would see fewer unskilled people entering the country.

He said this would ease pressure on schools and doctors' surgeries.

Video:Lib Dem Manifesto Launched

The UKIP leader also offered a £18bn tax giveaway, saying it was all paid for. Like the Tories, he promised people on the minimum wage should not pay income tax.

He said threshold for paying the 40p rate of income tax should be £55,000 and there should be a new 30p rate between £43,500 and £55,000.

He attempted to put the Tories under pressure with a pledge to "substantially" increase defence spending, committing to spending more than 2% of GDP by 2020.

The measures are likely to be seen as a statement of intent to the Tories over what UKIP will demand if it is to help David Cameron to another five years in power.

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Mr Farage also said UKIP would push for guaranteed civilian jobs for soldiers after 12 years of service and there would be no income tax for those abroad on active service. They would also build a military hospital.

Video:Tory Manifesto In 60 Seconds

He denied "putting out feelers" for discussions on a coalition with the Tories and when asked if removing Mr Cameron would be key to any deal he said: "If I was a Conservative I'd want to get rid of David Cameron."

In an attempt to persuade voters UKIP is a serious proposition, the spending pledges in the party manifesto have been verified by the Centre for Economics and Business Research.

The key red line for any Conservative coalition for Mr Farage's party is a referendum on Britain's EU membership.

UKIP insists there should be one "as soon as possible", while Mr Cameron has promised a vote only by the end of 2017.

Mr Farage dismissed his party's 2010 manifesto as "486 pages of drivel" and admitted he had not read it before it was published.

However, he said he had "read, absorbed and understood" the 2015 version.

Other measures contained in the manifesto include:

Video:Need To Know: Labour Pledges

:: Scrap HS2 high-speed rail project

:: Review the Barnett Formula, which decides funding for Scotland

:: £12bn extra funding for the NHS over five years

:: Abolish inheritance tax

:: 30p income tax rate for higher earners

:: No benefits for migrants for five years

:: Scrap the so-called "bedroom tax"

Video:Green Manifesto In 60 Seconds

Mr Farage spoke briefly at the manifesto launch before handing over to Deputy Party Chairman Suzanne Evans, who wrote the manifesto and gave details about its policies.

UKIP has been criticised for being a spent force, after its surge in the local and European elections last year when Mr Farage said the party could hold the "balance of power" at the General Election.

:: Nigel Farage Profile

However, UKIP could still influence who gets into Number 10 as they have ruled out a coalition with Labour.

The party launched its manifesto an hour after the Lib Dems, also potential kingmakers.

Three people have been found guilty of the 'honeytrap' death of a professional poker player.

Kyrron Jackson, 28, and Nicholas Chandler, 29, were convicted by a jury of Mehmet Hassan's murder after Jackson's girlfriend Leonie-Marie Granger set the trap.

Care assistant Granger, 25, was found guilty of manslaughter for deliberately targeting the 56-year-old.

Granger had already pleaded guilty of robbery and was found guilty of false imprisonment. The jury found her not guilty of murder.

Chandler had to be restrained by court guards after he began lashing out as the verdicts were handed down.

The court heard how Granger went on dates with Mr Hassan and afterwards reported back that her target was "flashy".

Video:Honeytrap Killers Show Off The Cash

A taxi driver overheard her saying: "This guy is a professional gambler. He has never worked a day in his life."

On the night of the murder, Mr Hassan took Granger to top Mayfair restaurant Nobu before going on to the Palm Beach Casino nearby, where he gave her £1,000 in cash to gamble with.

She was seen kissing the victim "passionately" and a poker supervisor felt compelled to tell the pair to "get a room".

Later he took her back to his Islington flat where she let in her boyfriend Jackson and his friend Chandler as she left to get into a taxi.

The two men used parcel tape to tie up Mr Hassan in his bedroom then kicked him to death and ransacked his home.

The killers were later filmed on Granger's mobile phone throwing wads of £50 notes in the air.

Mr Hassan was a regular at the Playboy Casino on Old Park Lane and the Palm Beach Casino in Berkeley Street, Mayfair, and sometimes won as much as £15,000 at a time.

The divorced father-of-three would keep his winnings around his flat, even keeping thousands of pounds in his microwave.

Prosecutor Crispin Aylett QC told jurors he was known to enjoy "the company of women" which made him particularly "vulnerable to the unscrupulous".

Jackson and Chandler had been involved in two armed robberies at the same casino in South Kensington in January and February last year but with limited success.

In each case, guns were used and the victims were tied up and subjected to violence.

The jury was shown CCTV footage of the dramatic raids as well as clips of Granger and Mr Hassan together in the casino before the killing.

In her defence, Granger admitted being involved in a plan to rob Mr Hassan, but denied being party to the murder.

While Jackson denied involvement in the murder, Chandler told the court he had stayed in the car outside an address in Islington playing Flappy Bird and Candy Crush while his friend went inside.

Jackson, of Romborough Way, Lewisham, south east London, and Chandler, of Lee High Road, south east London, were further convicted of robbing Mr Hassan, two counts of plotting to rob employees of Grosvenor Casinos, two counts of conspiracy to have a shotgun and imitation firearm in January last year, and two counts of conspiracy to falsely imprison.

Written By andika jamanta on Selasa, 14 April 2015 | 20.48

The Green Party has pledged to end privatisation in the NHS and re-nationalise the railways in its manifesto.

The party also vowed to ban fracking, stop airport expansion and halt major road schemes, while promising cash for energy efficiency measures and flood defences.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

Party leader Natalie Bennett told activists at the heart of the manifesto was "a vision for a fair economy".

She said: "That fair economy demands the end to austerity.

Video:Who Is Natalie Bennett?

"It demands we restore and enhance the essential public services to all, but particularly the most vulnerable.

"That fair economy is paid for by the rebalancing that we so desperately need, to see multinational companies and rich individuals paying their fair share in taxes as they are simply not paying now."

Ms Bennet added that a fair economy meant every worker should be paid a living wage.

"It is really not a radical statement to say that if you work full time you should earn enough money to live on," she said.

"And yet we are the only UK party who is saying the minimum wage should immediately be lifted to a living wage and should reach £10 an hour by 2020."

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

Ms Bennett also underlined the party's commitment to safeguarding the NHS, and pledged to remove all private operators from the service.

She said: "Behind that is an understanding of what privatisation has really meant for so many of our public services.

"It's meant the cutting of the pay and conditions of workers, it's meant the cutting of the quality of services and it has meant the shovelling of public money into private hands."

Video:#AskThe Leaders Full Q&A: Greens

Caroline Lucas, the party's former leader and the only Green MP in the last parliament, also spoke at the manifesto launch and argued tackling climate change was not "some luxury that is only possible when there are good economic times".

She said the environment was not something that could be ditched during tough times "like that extra cappuccino on the way to work".

Green Party plans for a free nationwide retro-fit insulation programme would tackle both the "scandal of cold homes" while creating more than 100,000 jobs, she said.

Ms Lucas told the audience the money was there but it came down to political choice.

"It's nonsense to say we can waste billions on new roads or on HS2 but we can't afford to keep people warm in their own homes," she said.

For every £1 spent on energy efficiency measures, £1.27 was returned to the economy, and Ms Lucas insisted it was the only way of reducing energy bills while also helping the environment.

She also argued that the prospect of a hung parliament and a minority Labour government opened the way for the Greens to realise its manifesto goals.

She said: "That would give us a real opportunity to push Labour on the policies we know the public wants and which are at the heart of our manifesto - whether that's scrapping nuclear weapons or reversing the privatisation in our NHS, whether that's returning local schools to local control or bringing rail back into public ownership."

David Cameron has claimed the Conservatives are the "party of the working people" as he made pledges on homeownership, £5,000 of free childcare and an income tax-free minimum wage.

Launching the Tory manifesto, Mr Cameron repeatedly made offers to voters who worked hard and wanted to get on the "good life".

Cameron and Thatcher: the "property-owning" dream

The manifesto set out measures for families from cradle to grave - identifying measures to help people over six stages of their lives.

Mr Cameron opened his speech by saying: "At the heart of this manifesto is a simple proposition. We are the party of working people, offering you security at every stage of your life."

Video:Miliband: Tory Manifesto Unfunded

He promised 30 hours of childcare for three and four-year-olds - five hours more than promised in Labour's manifesto yesterday - to help working parents.

He said if the party is returned to power, it will give 1.3 million families the chance to buy their housing association home at least a 20% discount.

Speaking at a university technical college in Swindon, Mr Cameron laid out his vision for a "property-owning democracy" echoing the phrases used in Margaret Thatcher's 1983 manifesto.

And he said the Conservatives would introduce a tax-free minimum wage, linking the minimum wage to the income tax personal allowance so the lowest paid would never have to pay tax.

He urged voters not to "waste the last five years" and let "Labour drag us back" to the past, and asked to be allowed to "finish the job".

Mr Cameron promised: "This buccaneering, world-beating, can-do country - we can do it all over again."

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

:: All You Need To Know About Party Manifestos

:: Sky's Anushka Asthana On Five Things We've Learned From The Tory Manifesto

Video:May On Home-Owning 'Dream'

Among other measures included in the manifesto, which has the phrase "strong leadership, a clear economic plan, a better more secure future" on the cover, are:

:: Raising the personal allowance for tax to £12,500

:: Increasing the starting salary for the 40p rate to £50,000

:: No increase in income tax, VAT, National Insurance

:: Raising the inheritance tax threshold for family homes to £1m

:: Seven-day access to GP service

:: An annual £8bn boost for NHS funding

:: Repeal the Hunting Act

:: Increase state pension by at least 2.5% with a triple lock

Video:The Greens' Main Policies

:: 200,000 starter homes built

:: Committed to four-boat Trident nuclear deterrent

Mr Cameron's repeated pledges on a "good life" available to people in the UK prompted a question on whether he saw himself as the impoverished Tom and Barbara characters from the BBC sitcom, played by Felicity Kendal and Richard Briers, or the rich Margot and Jerry characters played by Penelope Keith and Paul Eddington.

To fund Right to Buy, the Conservatives would force councils to sell their most expensive properties when vacant - estimated to raise £4.5bn a year - and replace the properties sold.

However, the Housing Federation claims the cost to the taxpayer would be £5.8bn and 40 years of failure on house-building means the UK still does not have the homes needed.

Since Baroness Thatcher introduced Right to Buy in 1980, 1.88 million council properties have been sold - only 345,000 new social housing properties have been built.

As well as extending Right to Buy at a discount to housing association tenants, the party has promised a £1bn fund for building 400,000 new properties on brownfield sites.

Mr Cameron's claim that the Conservatives are the party for workers comes after Labour said it wanted to be seen as the fiscally responsible option for government.

:: Right To Buy: Your Questions Answered

Video:Ed Miliband 'Ready' To Be PM

:: Labour's Manifesto At A Glance

Conservative activists gathered for the manifesto launch were shown a video called The Note.

The video refers to the missive left for the coalition by the outgoing Labour treasury minister Liam Byrne after the 2010 election. It said: "There is no money."

But Labour has claimed the Conservatives have failed to explain properly how their measures will be funded.

The Tories say some £1.4bn a year of the funding will come from reducing the tax relief on pensions for those earning more than £150,000. Mr Cameron said their track record showed they could deliver on their pledges.

Labour leader Ed Miliband said the Conservatives were "trying to fund Right to Buy on a bounced cheque".

David Cameron has announced a future Tory government would give 1.3 million housing association tenants the chance to buy their homes.

:: So what is Right to Buy?

The existing scheme allows council tenants to buy their home at a discount of up to 70% - a maximum of £102,700 in London and £77,000 across the rest of of the country.

:: Full Coverage Of General Election 2015

The Conservatives have made extending this to 1.3 million housing association tenants a centrepiece of their manifesto for the May election.

Video:May On Home-Owning 'Dream'

:: This all seems familiar?

It is indeed. The scheme was trailblazed by Margaret Thatcher on coming to power in 1979 with the Tories hailing it "the biggest step towards a home-owning democracy ever taken" in their 1983 manifesto.

And in extending the scheme to housing tenants, David Cameron is hoping to recapture that aspirational spirit in the face of criticism of the negative tone of the Tory campaign to date.

Unveiling the plan, the PM echoed the words of the Thatcher-era by talking of "building a property-owning democracy for generations".

:: So that's the background, how will it work?

It will be funded by requiring councils to sell off the most expensive properties when they become empty, and replacing them with more affordable social homes.

:: LIVE BLOG: General Election 2015

Around 15,000 houses and flats are expected to become available in this way each year, but the Conservatives stress no one will be forced out of their home.

It has been claimed the sales would raise an estimated £4.5bn which could then be used to build between 80,000 to 170,000 new properties a year.

:: Do I hear a "but" coming here?

You do indeed. The move, unsurprisingly, is not without its critics and has been branded "deeply unfair" by housing associations.

The National Housing Federation warns it would mean using £5.8bn of taxpayers' cash to "gift" up to £100,000 to people already living in good secure homes, on some of the country's cheapest rents.

Meanwhile, the group argues it would do nothing to help the millions in private rented properties desperate to buy, or those forced to live at home with their parents because they cannot afford to rent or buy.

It points out the £5.8bn would be enough to finance 300,000 new shared ownership homes "open to everyone, not just the lucky few".

Political opponents have also waded in with Labour dismissing it as "yet another uncosted, unfunded and unbelievable announcement".

And the Tories' Lib Dem coalition partners claim the scheme would would result in longer waiting lists for homes and fewer social houses.

Written By andika jamanta on Senin, 13 April 2015 | 20.49

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Around 30 cyclists crossed the tracks as the barrier came down

French state railway company SNCF has called for legal action against cyclist in the famous Paris-Roubaix race who cheated death when they ignored barriers to cross tracks.

A number of riders in the peloton rode through the level crossing - which clipped several riders as it came down - seconds before a high-speed train passed.

Some even ignored a police motorcyclist who ordered a large group of competitors to stop as the TGV train approached.

SNCF has filed an official complaint with police.

The TGV screamed past seconds after the cyclists nipped across the tracks

"Several riders deliberately crossed a level crossing, which is against all safety regulations," the company said in a statement.

"Millions of TV viewers were able to watch this unauthorised crossing which was extremely serious and irresponsible, that could have ended in tragedy.

1/17

Gallery: Bradley Wiggins' Tour In Pictures

Wiggins rounds the arc d'triomphe in Paris.

In the overall leader's yellow jersey, he heads up the Champs-Elysees.

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Chris Froome, Wiggins, Richie Porte and Edvald Boasson Hagen ride together in the final stage of the Tour.

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Wiggins congratulated by teammate Michael Rogers after winning.

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Team Sky help to celebrate the win.

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"SNCF has decided to lodge a legal complaint and will leave it up to the investigation to determine who was responsible and we regret that such foolhardiness took place."

The group of around 30 riders crossed the tracks in the Wallers region, around 87km (54 miles) from the end of the race.

Race organisers said the leading riders did not have enough time to stop and there no plans to take action against any of the cyclists.

"The peloton was 10m away when the barrier started to close. By neutralising the race for a few moments to not penalise those who stopped, we respected the spirit of the rule," Guy Dobbelaere, president of the jury of race commissioners, said.

1/10

Gallery: Rise And Rise Of Bradley Wiggins

Wiggins celebrates on the finish line after the final 20th stage of the 99th Tour de France.

Celebrating his overall victory Tour on the Champs Elysees in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

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In 2006, three riders were disqualified for going through a closed railway crossing.

SNCF says it spends 30 million euros (£21.6m) a year trying to reduce accidents of level crossings.

After the latest incident the peloton regrouped, allowing riders left behind to catch up as they neared the finish of the 151-mile race.

Sir Bradley Wiggins finished 18th in his final race for Team Sky, 31 seconds behind winner John Degenkolb, from Germany.

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We use cookies to give you the best experience. If you do nothing we'll assume that it's ok.

Around 30 cyclists crossed the tracks as the barrier came down

French state railway company SNCF has called for legal action against cyclist in the famous Paris-Roubaix race who cheated death when they ignored barriers to cross tracks.

A number of riders in the peloton rode through the level crossing - which clipped several riders as it came down - seconds before a high-speed train passed.

Some even ignored a police motorcyclist who ordered a large group of competitors to stop as the TGV train approached.

SNCF has filed an official complaint with police.

The TGV screamed past seconds after the cyclists nipped across the tracks

"Several riders deliberately crossed a level crossing, which is against all safety regulations," the company said in a statement.

"Millions of TV viewers were able to watch this unauthorised crossing which was extremely serious and irresponsible, that could have ended in tragedy.

1/17

Gallery: Bradley Wiggins' Tour In Pictures

Wiggins rounds the arc d'triomphe in Paris.

In the overall leader's yellow jersey, he heads up the Champs-Elysees.

]]>

Chris Froome, Wiggins, Richie Porte and Edvald Boasson Hagen ride together in the final stage of the Tour.

]]>

Wiggins congratulated by teammate Michael Rogers after winning.

]]>

Team Sky help to celebrate the win.

]]>

"SNCF has decided to lodge a legal complaint and will leave it up to the investigation to determine who was responsible and we regret that such foolhardiness took place."

The group of around 30 riders crossed the tracks in the Wallers region, around 87km (54 miles) from the end of the race.

Race organisers said the leading riders did not have enough time to stop and there no plans to take action against any of the cyclists.

"The peloton was 10m away when the barrier started to close. By neutralising the race for a few moments to not penalise those who stopped, we respected the spirit of the rule," Guy Dobbelaere, president of the jury of race commissioners, said.

1/10

Gallery: Rise And Rise Of Bradley Wiggins

Wiggins celebrates on the finish line after the final 20th stage of the 99th Tour de France.

Celebrating his overall victory Tour on the Champs Elysees in front of the Arc de Triomphe.

]]>

In 2006, three riders were disqualified for going through a closed railway crossing.

SNCF says it spends 30 million euros (£21.6m) a year trying to reduce accidents of level crossings.

After the latest incident the peloton regrouped, allowing riders left behind to catch up as they neared the finish of the 151-mile race.

Sir Bradley Wiggins finished 18th in his final race for Team Sky, 31 seconds behind winner John Degenkolb, from Germany.